Song Lyrics

Sounds

Today's Lesson
Today's Food
Maybe There's Something We Can Do
Phil Frye the Science Guy
Words Are Powerful
Got Milk?
Our Friend Dirt
Red or Blue?
Cheese Is Good
What Did We Learn Today?

Stunts

Harvey is shot out of a cannon.

27 References

There are no 27s in the show, but the show first aired on September 27, 1997.

This episode repeated on both December 27, 1997 and June 27, 1998.

Summary

Al is trying to write a song about cheese when he is interrupted
by an explosion. A portion of his wall caves in, and a group of miners
burst in. The miners are apparently lost and apologize for destroying
Al's wall. Then they say that they'll fix it.

Al is upset by the way the miners' act and thinks they are dirty,
disgusting people. After many arguments, the two finally learn to get
along. Al solves a problem for the miners; he gets rid of the rats
with one of his specialty foods. And the miners solve a problem for
Al by helping him to write his cheese song.

The Adventures of Fatman

Fatman is busily working to set the time on his VCR when a
message from the Slawmeister interrupts the regularly scheduled
broadcast. Slawmeister ells Fatman that he has planted a bunch of
bombs looking like potato in a potato salad factory. Slawmeister's
scheme is to rid the world of potato salad and make cole slaw the
world's only side dish.

Fatman instantly jumps into action and goes and looks for a Pick
Me Up bouqet for Slawmeister. Harvey tricks Fatman by saying
Slawmeister always leaves fudge at the crime scene. Fatman goes to
the potato salad factory and picks up all the potato bombs looking
for the fudge. He doesn't find it, but takes the potatoes into space
since he'd already picked them up. They explode and it rains hash
browns. Slawmeister is taken away by the police.

Memorable Lines

Al: Maybe there's something we can do without having to talk to
each other or look at each other. I know TV!
Minor: The perfect solution. I love TV.

Bobby: Hey, Al. I got a question. Where does dirt come from?
Al: I don't know, Bobby, but I can tell you where it goes, onto them.
(Points at minors)
Bobby: But I need to know where it's from!
Al: Well, Bobby, that is one of the many mysteries of the universe.
But perhaps this short film can help you understand a little
better.

Announcer: Can you imagine a world without dirt? It seems dirt is
everywhere. Chances are there is dirt somewhere underneath you right
now.

Many things grow in dirt. Like carrots. Carrots are good to eat.
But you should never eat dirt; it doesn't taste very good and you might
get dirt on your uvula. Dirt is dirty, so if it gets on you, wash
it off. Rocks are dirty because they're found in the dirt and
they have dirt on them. Some people like to study rocks. Whatever.

But where does dirt come from? Scientists have been trying to answer
this question for thousands of years. Most researchers now believe
that dirt is actually nothing more than dried up mud. When mud dries
up, it becomes dirt. And when dirt gets wet, it becomes mud again.

So which came first, dirt or mud? You might as well ask, "Which
came first, water or ice cubes?" It remains one of the mysteries of the
universe.

Al: Press the red button if you want to see Brad Pitt mud wrestling
with Cindy Crawford! Or press the blue button if you want to see a
Fatman cartoon. Okay! What's it gonna be? Mud wrestling? Or a dumb
cartoon?
(Blue button is pressed)
WHAT?! You want to see a Fatman cartoon?! Oh! What are you people
thinking?! Well, all right, if that's what you really want.

Plot and Review

A group of severely directionally-impaired miners
accidentally tunnel their way into Al's cave while he is
attempting to write a song about cheese. At first, Al
hates the miners because they are dirty, rude, and
apparently want to rid the world of Harvey. Later
though, Al forgives these "miner" misgivings, and he
and they finish the cheese song together.

I totally agreed with Al in hating these guys.
How rude. Al was not a very gracious host, but then again, he lives
in a cave, twenty miles below the surface of the earth--do you expect him
to be a socialite? The message of this show was supposed to be tolerance.
This is great if you are a kid and you identify with Al. In that
case, the kid gets the message to always be nice, even to people who suck,
but what if the kid identifies with the miners? Then it ends up teaching
that it doesn't matter what kind of jerk you are or how obnoxiously you
act, people still have to be nice to you.

The announcer is still shouting! I think it's
time to start a letter-writing campaign. Or maybe just call my cousin
Vic, if you know what I mean.

But to the benefit of the writers, Knight versus
Fireman was awesome! Phil Frye the Science Guy made me laugh so hard
I had tears, and the p.s.a. actually had a message subtly hidden.
The "short films" that Billy T.I.B. gets to watch are so cool. Why
couldn't Al have lived on my block when I was a kid?

As for the actual plot, I have to wonder, how were
the miners expecting to get out of the cave when they walled the hole up
from the inside? I liked the way this show ended. I would not
have been embarrassed to tell people that I watched this show. Example
is the way to go, I tell you! Children learn by example!

Finally, Harvey's stunts are the greatest.
My very own hamster does tricks, too, such as peeing while running around
the house in his ball and chewing on plastic.